Out In The City

14

Oct

Stonewall awards 2013 announced

Campaigning charity Stonewall has announced the full list of nominees for the 2013 Stonewall Awards – with a lavish ceremony planned to take place on Thursday 7 November at the V&A museum in London. For the full list of nominees, continue reading.

Now in their eighth year, the awards are designed to acknowledge and celebrate those who elebrates those who have made a positive impact on the lives of lesbian, gay and bisexual people in Britain over the last 12 months. This year’s nominees include actor Antony Cotton, radio presenter Adele Roberts, former soldier James Wharton and hip hop’s Macklemore. This year’s judges include Richard Madeley, Jeanette Winterson and Will Young. Stonewall Chief Executive Ben Summerskill said, “This year has been a momentous year for legal equality in Britain, with equal marriage provoking both vitriol from some and inspiring courage in others. The Stonewall Awards are a fantastic opportunity for us to recognise those who have positively improved the lives of gay people around the world.”This year’s awards ceremony will be hosted by Scottish comedian Susan Calman. Commenting on the awards, she said, “I’m absolutely thrilled to be hosting this year’s Stonewall Awards. It’s an incredible opportunity to recognise the individuals who have strived tirelessly to make Britain and the world a better place.”The eighth annual Stonewall Awards ceremony, supported by Gender Gap as well as Google, the Inclusive Foundation, Square Peg Media (publishers of Out In The City) and Paddy Power, takes place on Thursday 7 November at the V&A in London. Tickets are £198 including VAT. To book your ticket visit www.stonewall.org.uk/awards or contact Maria Anna Petrou on 020 7593 2294.

Award shortlist nominees are as follows:

Hero of the Year

Dawn AireyMedia mogul Dawn’s long and illustrious career has spanned stints at ITV, Channel 5 and BSkyB. In August she was appointed to run Yahoo in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, making her one of the most successful lesbian global role models in the business world.

Lord AlliSince becoming the first openly-gay Member of the House of Lords 15 years ago, Lord Alli has been a tireless campaigner for equality. He was instrumental in navigating equal marriage through the House of Lords this year.

Bishop Nicholas HoltamBishop Nicholas Holtam has long been one of the Church of England’s most reliable defenders of lesbian, gay and bisexual people, and announced his support for equal marriage in 2012.

Marguerite McLaughlinThis year Marguerite stood down as Chief Executive of sexual health charity Metro after a decade of success. Under her leadership the charity expanded its services and reached out to communities across London.

Russian LGBT NetworkThis summer has been dominated by headlines of the crackdown on LGB&T activists in Russia. With new gay ‘propaganda’ bans and ever increasing hostility, the Russian LGB&T Network has continued to work to support those in need across Russia.

Bigot of the Year

Niall FergusonHistorian Niall Ferguson made headlines for derisive comments made about the sexuality of John Maynard Keynes.

The Rev George GebauerThe Rev George Gebauer stunned parents Aimi and Victoria Leggett when he refused to baptise their baby because they both wanted to be named as the child’s mothers. He added insult to injury when he claimed the two mums may have ‘pinched’ the baby and that gay people were ‘imbalanced’.

Scott LivelyScott Lively is currently facing trail in the United States for ‘crimes against humanity’ following a long career of aggressively exporting homophobia around the world.

Winston McKenzieWinston McKenzie, UKIP candidate in the Croydon North by-election, hit the headlines in November 2012 when he said that same-sex parenting was akin to child abuse.

Pat RobertsonTV evangelist Pat Robertson has been a longstanding opponent of gay equality but outdid himself in August by saying that gay men viciously spread HIV while shaking hands using ‘special rings’.

Politician of the Year

Baroness BarkerLiz Barker made history in June, becoming the first openly-gay LibDem peer, when she came out as lesbian during a deeply personal and moving speech in support of marriage equality.

Lord Elis-ThomasLord Elis-Thomas has been a longstanding supporter of equality both in the Welsh Assembly and the House of Lords.

Nick Herbert MP‘Powerful’, ‘articulate’, ‘passionate’ and ‘moving’ were just a few of the words used to describe Nick Herbert’s Commons tour de forces in favour of equal marriage during his campaign to secure the legislation.

Jenkin Family (Lord Jenkin, Baroness Jenkin, Bernard Jenkin MP)A thoroughly modern Tory dynasty with a proud history of conservatism. However, it was the Jenkin family’s honest and wholehearted support of marriage equality in both Houses of Parliament that earned their nomination.

Baroness StowellAs lead minister, Tina Stowell won plaudits from those on all sides of the House of Lords for her deft handling of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill in the House of Lords.

Baroness ThorntonBaroness Thornton’s passionate and articulate support for equal marriage from the Labour frontbench in the House of Lords helped secure this landmark legislative change.

Broadcast of the Year

Great British Bake Off, BBC2The nation is once again hooked by the sweet treats and culinary delights of The Great British Bake Off. Last year’s openly-gay winner John Whaite and the show’s incidental coverage of gay contenders and their families has earned the show a loyal gay fan base.Hollyoaks, Channel 4The sensational student and young people’s favourite has blazed a TV trail for gay visibility and this summer contained a landmark storyline about a gay Nigerian asylum seeker.

Iain Dale’s Drive Time, LBCWitty, current and insightful, Iain Dale has transitioned from must-read blogger and political commentator to essential listening on LBC with his daily drivetime talk show. His success was confirmed when he was named Radio Presenter of the Year at the Arqiva Awards.

Last Tango in Halifax, BBC1A touching drama that ticked all the boxes, the show’s sensitive subplot followed teacher Caroline, and her new relationship with a woman. The six part series covers the reaction of Caroline’s family, colleagues and pupils to her new partner.

Marrying Mum & Dad, CBBCKids favourite Marrying Mum & Dad broke new ground this year with its incidental coverage of same-sex parents. Sensitive and moving, the show followed the civil partnership plans of two proud parents.

Entertainer of the Year

Rev. Richard Coles (Saturday Live) The Rev Richard Coles has been a vocal and articulate advocate for equality, commenting with humour and sensitivity on issues affecting the gay community. He provided the inspiration for much loved 2010 BBC Two sitcom Rev, set for a third series next year.

Antony Cotton (Coronation Street) This year Antony celebrates his tenth year of walking the nation’s favourite cobbled streets. After joining the cast of Coronation Street in 2003 Cotton has helped to increase the media visibility of gay characters with his sensitive portrayal of Sean Tulley.

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Before Same Love by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis had even received a single radio play it had had 30 million hits on YouTube. Hip hop star Macklemore was inspired to write the song in support of equal marriage by his gay uncle and his partner.

Adele Roberts (BBC Radio 1Xtra) The openly gay Radio 1Xtra DJ produced a documentary about coming out earlier this year and became a Stonewall Role Model, visiting schools to help tackle homophobic bullying.

Lucy Spraggan The openly-gay singer and songwriter quickly became a role model for many gay young people with her stand out performances on last year’s X Factor. Her stint on the talent show saw young fans writing to her offering their thanks for helping them to come out.

Journalist of the Year

Grace Dent (The Independent)Columnist, author, TV critic, and restaurant reviewer – Grace Dent has long been a must read. Her unflinching support for equal marriage shone through her writing throughout the year.

Catherine Deveney (The Observer)An established journalist and TV presenter whose career has included stints at Scotland on Sunday and Tern TV, Deveney led ground-breaking investigations into Cardinal Keith O’Brien’s abuses of power.

Paul Flynn (Attitude Magazine) As a Senior Contributing Editor to Attitude magazine Paul Flynn’s writing is consistently infused with warmth, compassion and humour. Whether interviewing rising rap talent, or penning his monthly column, his style draws readers in with a combination of personal experience, dry wit and a healthy dose of cynicism.

Tim Montgomerie (The Times) Tim Montgomerie has written movingly about the political, personal and spiritual journey he’s been on in his views on homosexuality. He has been one of the most passionate and coherent advocates of marriage equality in the last year.

Max Pemberton (The Daily Telegraph) You can trust him – he’s a Doctor. In the past year Pemberton’s practical Daily Telegraph column has covered topics including mental health, NHS reform and misogyny in women’s magazines. In July he thanked all those in Parliament who supported equal marriage.

Publication of the Year

Architects’ JournalArchitects’ Journal published their own research this year into the experiences of lesbian, gay and bisexual people in their industry. The results were a wake-up call for the industry with nearly half of gay architects reporting they’d experienced discrimination.

Fagburn.com ‘Caustic, biting rudeness dressed up as plain speaking’, a ‘gay Private Eye’ and ‘hilarious’ are just some of the descriptions of Fagburn. Never knowingly neutral in its editorial position, Fagburn relishes in highlighting hypocrisy while routinely skewering complacency in gay culture.

HuffingtonPost.co.ukA relative newcomer to Britain, the Huffington Post wasted no time in establishing itself as a credible news voice, weaving gay-interest pieces alongside the rest of its reportage – including extensive coverage of the equal marriage debate, homophobia in football and the experiences of children with same-sex parents.

MetroNow an integral part of most people’s morning routine, Metro has long had a gay sensibility running through it. They’ve given balanced and extensive coverage to important issues such as equal marriage and homophobia in football.

The Mirror Whether reporting on London Pride or covering the coming out of a bisexual MP, gay readers regularly find news of note on the pages of this popular daily, with routine sage words of advice to their lesbian, gay and bisexual readers on Colleen Nolan’s and Miriam Stoppard’s advice pages.

Sports Award of the Year

Arsenal FC In 2013 Arsenal Football Club launched the ‘Arsenal for Everyone’ initiative and continued to celebrate LGBT History Month by hosting an ‘Education and Celebrate’ event with local schools at the Emirates Stadium. They formed a new LGBT supporters group called The Gay Gooners and joined thousands of others to march in the 2013 London Pride parade.

Clare Balding While describing Balding as a ‘national treasure’ is a cliché, no one can doubt the impact Clare has had in the past year. Rightly applauded for her work during the Olympics, Clare Balding is now a leading role model for lesbian and bisexual women around the country as well as one of the most loved sports figures in 21st century Britain.

Cardiff Lions Defying stereotypes, the Cardiff Lions is Wales' only gay friendly rugby club. As this year’s Union Cup Plate Winners, the team defeated rugby teams from across Europe. It welcomes all men – irrespective of sexual orientation – and is already training for the August 2014 Bingham Cup.

Sarah Outen This summer, solo explorer Sarah Outen sailed 4,315 miles in 150 days surviving sharks, storms and a close call with a cargo ship. The first ever solo traveller to complete the trip, she proposed to her girlfriend when aboard her boat.

Robbie Rogers In February Rogers hit the headlines by coming out and retiring from both Leeds United and professional football immediately. Robbie has since spoken candidly about his decision to leave football and facing his fears of a hostile reaction from fans and coaches. Thankfully he’s now back and playing for LA Galaxy.

Writer of the Year

Damian Barr (Maggie and Me) Damian Barr’s Maggie and Me is a dry, humorous and shrewdly written memoir of growing up gay and Scottish in Lady Thatcher’s Britain. Barr has garnered praise from critics and writers alike this year, with the Independent on Sunday describing him as ‘a gifted storyteller, weaving skilfully back and forth through time, and his unfussy prose flows delightfully... Splendid’.

B.R. Collins (Love in Revolution) Described by The Guardian as a ‘brave and ambitious writer’ B.R. Collins quickly rose to prominence in 2009 when her debut novel won the Branford Boase Award. Her tales for young adults have won widespread acclaim from critics and fans and her latest historic work, Love in Revolution, is no exception.

Neil McKenna (Fanny & Stella: The Young Men Who Shocked Victorian England) In the words of the Sunday Times – who awarded Fanny & Stella a coveted ‘Must Read’ review – McKenna’s latest work is '[a] rollicking account of the trial of two middle-class Victorian cross-dressers.' An enthralling tour-de-force, Fanny & Stella tells the previously untold story of two men who became a front-page fixture to a horrified and curious Victorian Britain.

Charlotte Mendelson (Almost English) Long-listed for the 2013 Man Booker Prize Almost English is described by The Guardian as ‘beautifully written, warm, funny and knowing’. It follows a 16 year olds disjointed life, torn between an unhappy existence at a mixed boarding school and her life with her mother who lives under the overbearing presence of three elderly Hungarians.

James Wharton (Out in the Army) Joining the British Army in 2003, James Wharton’s autobiography charts his career as an openly gay soldier. From serving in Iraq, to his friendship with Prince Harry, to his civil partnership, Wharton’s book has been described as ’wonderful, stirring and thrilling’ by Stephen Fry.

Barclays Barclays featured a same-sex couple in their personalised debit card photo booth in this advert that was broadcast nationally. YouTube link: http://tinyurl.com/polth3y

Glasgow City Council Glasgow City Council’s ad prominently featured a same-sex couple in its call for adoptive parents. Featured in a metro station the advert was a great step forward for gay-parenting.

Mamas & Papas Yummy Mummy favourite Mamas & Papas featured same-sex parents in their latest ad with the simple yet powerful message: This Is How We Roll.

Natwest The Natwest advert features twin sisters talking about their loves and lives - one of the sisters just happens to be a lesbian. Prime time incidental coverage of a same-sex couple which was first broadcast a Sunday evening showing of X Factor on ITV. YouTube link: